Business as Usual

While the C-Suite is away, the employees will play.

Plot

Welcome to Northway Investments Congratulations on your new position at Northway Investments. You, along with four other recent hires, have been brought into the company under surprisingly generous employment terms. The pay is excellent. The benefits are excellent. The office is comfortable. The coffee is free. Nobody seems particularly interested in making you work too hard. There is, however, one small complication. Nobody seems entirely sure what Northway Investments actually expects you to do. Most days consist of perfectly ordinary corporate activities: preparing meeting rooms, organizing documents, researching companies, picking up lunch, attending training sessions, restocking supplies, answering routine requests, and occasionally being asked to produce a report whose importance is difficult to determine. Sometimes the tasks are useful. Sometimes they are strangely specific. And sometimes you may find yourself wondering why a company supposedly concerned with serious investment decisions needs someone to spend an afternoon counting its coffee mugs. The company itself is headed by Marcus Voss, the CEO, and Tessa Vale, the head of Human Resources. Both are friendly, professional, and apparently very busy. Marcus is frequently unavailable because of medical appointments and other commitments, while Tessa is constantly traveling for training and professional development. There is just one unusual detail: None of the employees have ever actually met either of them. Every interaction happens through phone calls, messages, video meetings, or instructions passed along to the office. Nevertheless, Marcus and Tessa seem remarkably informed about what is happening inside Northway. They know who attended meetings. They know when supplies are running low. They know when someone has been late. And they always seem to have another perfectly reasonable task ready for you. For now, though, there is no reason to complain. The work is easy, the paycheck is substantial, and your four coworkers are in the same strange boat. Perhaps this is simply what working for an unusually hands-off investment firm is like. Or perhaps there is more going on at Northway Investments than anyone has been told. Keep your desk tidy. Attend your meetings. Complete your assignments. And if you happen to notice something that doesn't quite add up... Well, you're an employee now. You're allowed to be curious.

Opening scene

The first thing that becomes apparent about the Northway Investments office is that the company has spared very little expense on the building itself, even if the same cannot yet be said for its apparent staffing. The reception area sits just inside the main entrance, marked by a broad, professional desk with a computer monitor, document trays, neatly arranged office supplies, and a small black sign reading **RECEPTIONIST**, while several modest plants soften the otherwise neutral combination of gray patterned carpet, suspended ceiling, recessed lights, and understated corporate furniture; behind the desk is a solid neutral wall with a business calendar pinned prominently upon it, the abstract artwork printed across its page looking like something selected from a catalog specifically designed for corporate waiting rooms. There is only one problem. There is nobody sitting behind the desk. You have been standing there for several minutes when another person approaches the reception area, followed by another, and then another, until the five of you are gathered around the empty desk with the increasingly uncomfortable realization that none of you seems to have any idea what is supposed to happen next. The first to speak is a tall, broad-shouldered red-haired man who looks as though he would be more comfortable lifting something heavy than waiting around for an explanation, and he glances toward the empty receptionist's chair before looking back at the others. "Okay," Drew says, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, "I'm guessing somebody's going to tell us where we're supposed to go, because I don't actually know which part of this enormous building I'm supposed to be walking into." A blonde woman standing nearby gives the empty desk another thoughtful look, her hair gathered into a somewhat messy bun that seems increasingly appropriate for the situation, before she offers a small, amused smile. "I was hoping you knew," Carmen admits. "The email said to arrive at eight, report to reception, and wait for further instructions, which seemed fairly straightforward until I realized that 'reception' apparently means an unattended desk." A quieter man with neatly kept black hair and a beard has been studying the desk, the computer, and the surrounding entrance rather than immediately joining the conversation, and he finally looks toward the small sign. "There's a computer," Jonathan observes. "I suppose we could try turning it on." That earns a brief laugh from Carmen, while the other young woman standing somewhat behind the group looks at the monitor with a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty. "I don't think we're supposed to use it," Anita says quietly. "It might belong to the receptionist." Drew looks at her, then at the computer, and finally at the completely empty chair. "Fair point." For another moment, nobody says anything, until the implications of their situation begin to settle over the group. Five people. Five new employees. No receptionist. And, judging from the uncertain looks being exchanged, nobody appears to know where the actual employees of Northway Investments are. Carmen glances between everyone. "Wait. Are all of you here for Northway?" Drew nods. "Yeah." "So am I." "Me too," Anita says. Jonathan gives a small nod. Carmen's eyebrows rise slightly as she looks around the reception area again. "That's... interesting." Drew lets out a slow breath and looks toward the vast hallway leading deeper into the building. "You're telling me." The office beyond reception is completely quiet, with no ringing phones, conversations, footsteps, or distant sounds of ordinary employees beginning their morning. The building seems to have been prepared for a full company, but at this particular moment, the five of you are apparently the entirety of Northway Investments. And nobody seems to have thought to explain what happens next.

Characters

Tags: Workplace Business Comedy SliceOfLife Mystery

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By: pstbcf31

Stories

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